Influence of deep magmatic source region in the growth of complex maar‐diatreme volcanoes

Abstract

Using a multidisciplinary approach to understand the subsurface processes behind the formation of maar‐diatreme volcanoes is of growing interest. While geophysical characterization can visualize the diatreme and the feeding dike system beneath the volcano at a reasonable scale, such data are rare and generally unavailable. Stratigraphic‐controlled sampling and geochemical analysis of pyroclasts within the ejecta ring can, however, provide substantial information on dike evolution and the influence of the magmatic plumbing system on the growth of these volcanoes. Such investigation is presented here for the Barombi Mbo Maar (BMM), a complex maar of the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL) composed of a pile of tephra units linked to multiple explosive phases that were grouped into three eruptive episodes. Major and trace element compositions of lavas collected from the different eruptive units indicate that the erupted magmas at BMM consist mainly of basalt, trachybasalt and basanite, with Oceanic Island Basalts (OIB) and high μ (μ = 238U/204Pb) (HIMU) signatures. Compositional modelling suggests that partial melting occurred at different degrees in the garnet‐to‐spinel transition zone from one episode to another. The repetition of eruptions with big gaps between them, the presence of another large adjacent old maar crater next to the 2.5 km crater of the BMM, and the overall similarity in geochemical compositions from one eruption to another suggest a deep high‐productive zone in the mantle beneath the BMM. The latter productive zone was capable of generating magma batches episodically to fuel several individual monogenetic eruptions at the same location.